Page 1 of Taken By Him

Chapter One

Kasia

“He’s here!” Diana shuts my bedroom door and presses her back against it. Her cheeks are pale, her chest is rising and falling rapidly.

“Have you talked to him?” I scoot off my bed. She shakes her head; tears well up in her soft brown eyes.

“I can’t.” She covers her mouth.

I go to her, pull her into a hug. “Don’t worry, Diana. We’ll figure a way out of this. Dad can’t do this; Mom won’t let him.” I pat her back while she winds her arms around my middle.

This isn’t new. Me comforting my twin sister over something our father has done.

“He’s already done it. Mr. Staszek is here too. They have a contract laid out on the desk. They’re talking about this like I’m a prized cow.” She lets go of me and runs her hands over her cheeks. Tears have stained her face.

“A contract?” My stomach turns. It’s not real, it can’t be. What judge would uphold an agreement like this?

“Yes.” She walks across my room, twisting her hands together. “Mom’s not even home. She left. She left me to do this on my own.”

“That’s not true.” I defend. “If she’s not here, it’s because he made her leave.”

Diana nods, rubbing her temple. “I know. I’m sorry, Kasia. I’m losing my mind here. This can’t be happening. It just can’t be.”

She’s in no state to go down there and deal with our father. With the Staszek men. Her hair is wound up in a tight bun and she’s dressed in a soft blue romper.

“Has Dad seen you already?” I ask her as I make my way to my vanity.

“What? Yes. He’s the one that told me they were here. I’m supposed to be waiting in the living room, but I had to come up here. I had to get away from it for a moment.” Fat, fresh tears roll down her cheeks again.

“Okay, come here, get out of that romper.” I sit at my vanity and pull out the pins needed to get my hair wound up like hers. I hate having my hair twisted up the way she does, but no choice for it now.

“Why?”

“Mr. Staszek won’t know the difference. Give me your romper,” I say urgently. If she’s supposed to be waiting in the living room, it means they’ll be calling her soon. We don’t have much time to make the switch.

“This isn’t second grade, Kasia. We can’t do this.” She rolls the romper over her hips as she argues with me.

I finish with the last pin and quickly change out of my t-shirt and leggings and into her outfit.

“You can’t go down there sobbing. It will show weakness, and men like them, they feed off it,” I say, repeating the words of our father.

She wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “Kasia. I’m the older one, I’m supposed to protect you, not the other way around.”

I work the last button in place, then go back to my vanity to swipe on makeup. Diana favors blues; I dig out an eyeshadow pallet and get to work.

“You’re older by six minutes,” I say as I finish the last of my mascara. “Let me do this for you. I will deal with Dad and the Staszeks, and you stay up here. Out of sight.” I squeeze her shoulders.

She sniffles. “Okay. Okay.” She nods. “Thank you, Kasia.”

I smile. “What are twins for?”

I leave her to hide away in my room and make my way quickly down to the living room. I’m just sitting down on the couch when Mr. Marcowski, Dad’s new attorney, comes to fetch me.

With a cleansing breath, a quick mental prayer, I follow him down the hall to where my father is waiting.

I hate my father’s office. It’s never been a room that created any pleasant memories for me. This is no different.

“This must be Diana.” An older man I assume is Joseph Staszek smiles at me. His face is squishy, like he’s recently lost a lot of weight and his skin hasn’t snapped back into place. He inclines his head in greeting but doesn’t come toward me.

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